People and Technology in the Workplace (1991) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
Telecommunication in the News Industry: The Newsroom Before and After Computers
Telecommunication in the News Industry: The Newsroom Before and After Computers
Pages 279-295
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From page 279... ...
The computer system is unique in that writers, editors, and others with a news background clesignec3 it and are now responsible for its management and development. The successful integration of electronic technology into the manual worIc3 of the newsroom, illustrated in this case study, is attributed to extensive staff involvement, cooperation across departments, simultaneous development of the appropriate technology, and management's commitment of time and resources.
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From page 280... ...
, and in the Times' bureau in Washington, D.C. The main system supports many local news bureaus, receives incoming stories from news agencies, backs up the Orange County system data base, and is used to produce copy for tinily publication.
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From page 282... ...
the process required for this successful project demonstrate the importance of planning, staff involvement, patience, and resources. MOTIVATION In 1974, managers in the Times' Editorial Department identifiec!
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From page 283... ...
Terminals in all local and national bureaus, as well as portable terminals for those traveling on assignment, brought dramatic changes in news gathering for the Times. Before these machines were introduced, news copy was delivered in a variety of ways: hand carried by messengers, by dispatch truck from suburban offices, by facsimile machines, by telephone dictation, by Telex, by mail, and in one instance by carrier pigeon.
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From page 284... ...
Because the Data Processing staff dicT not seem to understand! the needs of the Editorial Department, management decided to use editorial staff to clevelop the system.
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From page 285... ...
· Dramatically speed up news communications, whether from the Civic Center office across the street or the Times bureau in Moscow. The second year was devoted to studying the existing production methods, preparing specifications for an editing system, and surveying how other newspapers were using electronic technology.
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From page 286... ...
They argued that a centralized system was also feasible since the news editing system requirements were more straightforward than those encountered in most applications because the editorial sub-departments operated on similar information. The Data Processing Department approach would create a separate file management system for Orange County on the computers in Los Angeles.
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From page 287... ...
The report by the software house went on to address the Editorial Department's desire to program, maintain, and control the news editing system. It said that implementation of either system was likely to result in split leadership in the area of data processing.
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From page 288... ...
The conversion in 1974 to photocomposition Abandoning hot metal in favor of filmy, requires! the Editorial Department to execute an increasing number of intricate procedures in a narrower time span.
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From page 289... ...
ANPA committee meetings, such as the one on wire service communications, were attended by vendors and systems people. In 1977 the wire service committee was struggling with the transition from teletypesetting iTTS paper taped to electronic transmission of copy and the cocling to allow computers to recognize and interpret it.
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From page 290... ...
As programs were written, tested, and revised, the blocks fell into place. The terminal functions for typing, scrolling, defining and moving copy, inserting, and editing were progressing; the printing devices were being driven by the main computer; the typesetting programs were nearing completion kerning tables, hyphenation algorithms and tvDe-font tables were being refined the c~omm~,nic.~tion.~ nro~r~m.c were receiving copy from Associated Press and United Press International; and the data base programs were beginning to come together.
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From page 291... ...
Changes made to the communication software, however, forced the Times' team, reluctantly, to reject the system because the change wouIc! have macle the required communications links to Orange County unworkable.
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From page 292... ...
If, for example, the Los Angeles production facilities were inoperative but the news editing system was intact, this software would allow the Editorial Department to write and edit in Los Angeles while setting type in Orange County. The news editing system also extends the reach of either operating plant to encompass other facilities, bureau offices, temporary offices, or mobile stations any location where at least one terminal and a telephone can be set up.
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From page 293... ...
I enioved rewriting 7 . ~ each sentence a cozen times and driving typesetters crazy with penciled overscores, with special instructions scribbled in margins and with arrows connecting sentences a mile apart.
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From page 294... ...
In the short term, the typeset version of a news story is also the preliminary library version. The Eclitorial and Information Systems departments are working on a program of full-text retrieval.
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From page 295... ...
TELECOMMUNICATION IN THE NEWS INDUSTRY 295 is practiced today by several newspapers, and while the Times has pioneered in display ad layout, full-page classified ad and stock page makeup, this competence is only a first step. The next generation, or fourth wave, holds promise of even more sophisticated equipment, such as voice recognition computers, and facsimile devices that convert documents into text files.
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